The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-02-01
CAPITAL REMOVAL.
A Few Facts as to Why the Cues
ton Should be Submit
ted.
The Unfair Charges of the Dis
gruntled Tribune Upon
Its Advocates.

1t is but natural that the people
and the papers of Jefferson City
should be bitterly opposed to the re-
moval of the state capital from their
midst. Therefore under the most
favorable circumstances they could
not be expected to be impartial and
clear sighted in their opinions on the
subject, but it would hardly have
been expected that they, as citizens of
q great state, whose welfare is enjoy
ed in common by them, should show
such selfish, unreasonable and I'M
fair q spirit as is evidenced through the
medium of their mouth-piece, the
Jefferson City Tribune.
That the question of the removal of
state capital is a serious one no one
can deny, since such a step Is inexcus-
able unless there be good grounds for
it, based upon the advantages to be
gained in the welfare, convenience
and prosperity of the people of the
state, hence when there are good
grounds for believing such a state OF
affairs do exist as will warrant re-
mova,, it becomes the duty of the
legislature, who are most likely to
become conversant with the facts, to
carefully consider the matter and
after mature deliberation use their
best judgment and submit the issue to
the people. In dong this they are
not only exercising plain right but
performing a sw,rn duty. This be-
ing the case they cannot stop to con-
slider the individual wishes or inter.
ests of the few as opposed to the
interests and wishes of the masses and
it is only by plain, honest, straight
forward representations of facts that
they should be swayed. Of Jefferson
City as an integral part of the great
common wealth, Sedalia does not feel
inclined to belittle her or even to ex-
pose her shortcomings or even to 90
so far as fairness will justify if it can
be avoided. But when through her
press she evinces so unfair a
spirit AID impugns to the best men
Of the state such sordid and
dishonorable motives, when she false
ly Whites them and willfully misrep.
resents them and one of the fairest
portions of the state, as is done in Its
columns since the capital removal
question has been brought up. Com
mon justice, common sense, common
fairness and outraged truth demand
that few plain facts should be adj
duced and placed before the people tC
show how reckless of honesty and
veracity that press is. If Jefferson
City has any coed reason to advance
why this question should not be sub
mitted or why the capital should moi
be removed. The legislature ought
to patiently listen to it and be gov
erned by it as far as it goes, and Sc
dalia and her Legislators will Willingly
do so, but when the only argument
advanced are false charges and malic
ious scandals, both ears should
be deaf and sympathy should b
dumb, as examples of thi:
the following excerpts are made
from the columns of yesterdays Tri
bune. Of Sedalia and its people. the
Tribune says:
"The astounding impotence and
assurance with which they approach
legislators, and seek to influence them
under the very shadow of the capitol,
proves the danger of their position,
and the extremity of Sedalia."
"With the Pacific Missouri River
Valley railway, from Jefferson City
via Marshall to Kansas City, a fixed
fact, Sedalians are aware, that most
of the heavy travel and through
freight will be diverted from Sedalia,
leaving her way station ON the least
travelled branch of the Missouri Pacific
system"
Some Of her more far-sIghted citi
zens have also admitted that if the
st. Louis, Kansas City 81 Colorado
railway does not pass through Sedalia,
her future prospects are ruined. The
best informed men declare that Sc.
dallas chances for that road are no
better, if as good. as Jefferson City's
Several hundred, if not couple
of thousand of Sedalians, have left
for other points. Whole blocks of
business houses and streets of deserted
tenements meet the eye of the visitor
to Sedalia."
Her business has shrunk to one
half the proportions of former years.
Her building boOms are things of a
dead past. She is ruined city.
Only the Capitol steal and $4,000
600 of state patronage can save her
from destruction